The scheme, one of the amendments to the Casino Control Act decided on last year, involves three options. A gambler can preset his visit limit between one and eight times per month. As with the exclusion program, family members can also apply to cap a loved one’s visits. Finally, a government committee can study a player’s credit record and work situation to determine whether he’s financially equipped to be at the casino every night. This committee will be appointed by the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG), which will responsible for monitoring the visit limit program.
Gamblers facing a cap imposed by this committee would be given the opportunity to plead their case. That also applies to cap requests made by family members, giving gamblers a defense in case some vengeful mother-in-law still hasn’t gotten over the fact that a bum like you married her precious daughter. Once imposed, only the NCPG can revoke a cap.
Predictably, some critics say the program doesn’t go far enough. Others fear that limiting access to land-based casinos will only drive gamblers to seek out online betting sites. Family advocate Vincent Ng told MyPaper that online gambling represented “the greatest threat to problem gamblers” due to its accessibility and the lack of regulatory oversight by Singapore gaming authorities. Despite its highly successful introduction of land-based gaming, Singapore has steadfastly refused to follow that up with online play. Pity.